1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hinge structures and more particularly, to a hinge structure for use in a lifting cover type mobile electronic product that allows adjustment of the inclined angle of the cover when the cover is opened to a range within a predetermined angle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A lifting cover type consumer electronic product, such as mobile computer, electronic dictionary, mobile CD/VCD/DVD player, lifting cover type cell phone, etc., generally uses a hinge structure to joint the cover to the base member so that the cover can be opened and closed relative to the base member. Therefore, the hinge structure is an important factor that determines the quality of the product. Except positive positioning, the limitation of the opening angle must be taken into account when designing a good hinge structure.
The hinge structure of a regular mobile computer simply allows the cover of the mobile computer to be opened and closed. It does not allow the user to adjust the inclined angle of the cover relative to the user when the cover is opened to a particular angle. Therefore, a conventional mobile computer user is restricted to the visible angle and distance of the display screen (cover), i.e., the hinge structure of a conventional mobile computer is not in conformity with human-factors engineering.
Actually, if the cover of a mobile computer has an inclination adjusting mechanism, the visible distance between the user and the display screen can then be shortened, and the display screen can be adjusted to the best view angle, enhancing the convenience of use. However, conventional hinge structures for mobile computer do not provide this function.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a hinge structure that eliminates the aforesaid problem.